


Slumflowers Pt. 1

by vyrantiumblack



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-20
Updated: 2015-07-20
Packaged: 2018-04-10 05:19:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4378745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vyrantiumblack/pseuds/vyrantiumblack
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reno remembers Aerith.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Slumflowers Pt. 1

**Author's Note:**

> I like the idea of Aerith being on good terms with the Turks before Shinra decides that she's a hefty meal ticket and that Hojo gets some play time with her.

I.

The first time Reno meets Aerith she's with Tseng. She emits this air of confidence and don't-fuck-with-me attitude that Reno finds alluring. She's pretty cute with her dark green eyes and bright smile. She hands him a bouquet of yellow flowers, holds out her hand.

“Fifty gil.”

“Fifty? For flowers? Are you out of your mind?” Reno gazes at her incredulously. 

Aerith shakes her head. “Fifty gil.”

Reno scratches the back of his head, pulls out his wallet and hands over the money to pretty lady with the con artist grin. 

II.

The second time they meet she's in her church with some spiky headed weirdo. The place is calming though, so Reno just stands at the door watching them watch him. He has to make a move soon. The President really wants this girl, yet Reno doesn't really want to follow that order. Aerith hasn't really messed with him. In fact, he just brought flowers from her two days ago. They're cool.

Yet orders are orders. 

III.

The third time he sees Aerith, she's with Tseng again. This time there are no smiles. Reno knows that shit is getting real when he sees how Tseng's shoulders are set and sees the hate in Aerith's eyes. Her hand is stark pale against the red bloom on her cheek.

Reno notices Tseng's jaw clenching and he wants to break the awful silence with something. A poor joke. A witty story. A fucking hammer. Instead he walks ahead of them and calls Rude to let them know that “Aerith is with us and the bomb is set. We'll be up shortly.”

IV.

Reno doesn't see her again except for when the Turks cross paths with AVANLANCHE and when he sees her, he sees someone who has come so far and is near the end of something. It's in her eyes. His mother's eyes had that same faraway look before she left him and his sister. Reno wants to tell Cloud and his gang to watch her closely, yet the few words they say are charged with anger and fight. So, Reno just lets them go.

He learns later from official reports that she is dead. He watches Tseng and sees the cracks he tries to hide. Reno knew her even if he didn't know her well and he knows that Tseng knew her better than any of them. The few times Reno had spoken to her she reminded him of Zola, which meant that he saw a bit of himself in Aerith. A slumflower that reached to close to the sun.


End file.
